Semifinals: Casey Pordes vs. Caleb Scherer

As the higher seed, Casey chooses to be on the play. Both players keep their opening seven and the semifinal action begins!

Casey starts off with a Swamp and a pass, while Caleb has a Flooded+Strand and pass. The first play of the semifinals happens on Turn 2, with Casey playing a Jace, Vryn's Prodigy. Caleb matches him by playing a second turn Snapping+Gnarlid, looking to press the action.

A Zulaport Cuthroat and a Sidisi's Faithful are the plays for Casey's third turn, sacrificing the Sidisi's Faithful to bounce Caleb's Snapping+Gnarlid and drain Caleb for one life. A pass of the turn by Casey leads to Caleb playing a Turn 3 Anafenza%2C+the+Foremost, a powerful creature against Casey's graveyard strategy. A Nantuko+Husk and a pass by Casey, and it looks like this game is setting in for the long run.

Caleb starts his turn with an attack with Anafenza%2C+the+Foremost. A block and a loot with the Jace by Casey leads to a response of a Murderous+Cut targeting the Jace. Casey sacrifices Jace to his Nantuko+Husk, meaning it is exiled instead of placed in the graveyard, thanks to the Anafenza. Caleb replays his Snapping+Gnarlid and passes to Casey.

Casey starts to play out his hand on his turn, playing a Catacomb+Sifter and a Sidisi's Faithful, sacrificing the Eldrazi Scion token to bounce Anafenza%2C+the+Foremost back into Caleb's hand. A sacrifice of the Sidisi's Faithful to Nantuko+Husk allows Casey to do a good amount of damage to Caleb, and he passes the turn. Caleb redeploys his Anafenza%2C+the+Foremost and passes.

Both players decide to mulligan for the first game after sideboards. Caleb mulligans to six, puts his scry to the bottom. Casey mulligans to five, and keeps his scry on the top.

Both players lead with tapped lands for Turn 1, but Caleb starts off with a face-up Den+Protector for his second turn. Casey also has a second turn play in Jace, Vryn's Prodigy. An attack for two by the Den+Protector is followed by a Pitiless+Horde, signifying that Caleb is ready to put the pressure on this game.

"Draw-Go" from Casey leads Caleb to go for the kill by animating the Shambling+Vent and attack, but Casey drew a Murderous+Cut to kill the creature land. Caleb has another Shambling+Vent to play and a pass. A land for Casey means he can now Rally+the+Ancestors for three, getting back a Catacomb+Sifter, a Grim+Haruspex, a Sidisi's Faithful, and Nantuko+Husk. After all the triggers are done resolving, Casey has an Eldrazi Scion token in play, a Jace with several counters on it, and many cards in hand.

Both players keep their opening seven, and after trading land drops, the first play of the match belongs to Casey, as he plays a Turn 3 Vryn's Prodigy, but misses his third land drop. Caleb decides to Silkwrap the Jace, and play a Shambling+Vent.

A Murderous+Cut for the Eldrazi Scion token by Caleb is followed with a Siege+Rhino. But the Siege+Rhino travels back to Caleb's hand, thanks to a Sidisi's Faithful. Casey has another Jace, Vryns Prodigy to add to the table, and another attack for two by the Catacomb+Sifter, and a pass of the turn.

An attack with Warden by Caleb is followed by a second Warden+of+the+First+Tree and a Shambling+Vent, with Caleb putting the pressure on early in this game. To stem the bleeding, Casey plays a Sidisi's Faithful, but leaves it in play as a blocker instead of exploiting it to bounce a Warden.

Both Warden's attack for Caleb, and one is blocked by the Sidisi's Faithful. An Anafenza%2C+the+Foremost is cast by Caleb, but it meets its doom, thanks to a Murderous+Cut from Casey. However, the same play happens from Caleb on his next turn: attack with both Wardens and deploy an Anafenza, hoping to stop the graveyard deck from getting any value.

Casey casts a Grim+Haruspex and passes, hoping to stem some of the bleeding. But Caleb has a Dromoka's Command, putting a +1/+1 counter on one Warden, and fighting the Sidisi's Faithful with his Ananfenza. He then has a Murderous+Cut for the Grim+Haruspex and an attack for eight. Casey deploys two more creatures in Jace, Vryn's Prodigy and Zulaport+Cutthroat, but as soon as Caleb casts Silkwrap, Casey scoops up all his cards.

Caleb wins Game 4, and ties the match 2-2!

Game 5

Casey is on the play for the final game of this semifinals and he keeps his opening seven. Caleb mulligans to six, and places his scry on bottom.

Both players exchange land drops, with Casey playing a Turn 2 Zulaport+Cutthroat. Caleb has a Turn 2 play of his own, with a Snapping+Gnarlid. Casey plays a second Zulaport+Cutthroat, but does not have a third land drop for his turn, and has to pass back to Caleb.

Caleb plays an Anafenza%2C+the+Foremost on his turn, followed by an attack for four by the Snapping+Gnarlid and a pass. Casey takes a draw step, but once again misses his land drop, having to pass back to Caleb without a play. Caleb continues to put pressure on Casey by attacking with both the Anafenza and a five power Snapping+Gnarlid, forcing Casey to block with one Zulaport+Cutthroat. A Siege+Rhino comes down for Caleb, and he passes back to Casey.